Will you vote in the caucus? (Des Moines, Clinton: elementary school, live, law)

[PeaceInOurTime]

Hi people of Iowa!

Does anyone here plan to vote in the republican caucus January 3rd?

Are you aware of that many people around the world pay big attention to that event, since the one you nominate is quite likely to become the next president? You guys have got a lot of influence over the world!

Especially with Ron Paul running, many are following TV-debates and other events very closely from around the globe. He's got many fans. You're lucky to have an honest principled politician who talks about rule of law. He's probably the only politician of that kind in the whole world!

Here's an hour long interview with him:

Ron Paul: Bernanke Will Destroy the Middle Class - YouTube

He's intelligent. He reasons. He doesn't just say rehearsed stuff or hold emotional pathetic speeches without content. He speaks in order to explain problems and solutions to people. What other politician does that? It's completely unheard of! You have only this opportunity in your lifetime to vote for a GOOD president. I ask you to please consider to participate in this unique moment, make this historic turning point happen!

He's got the same odds as Gingrich and Romney (30% probability each) on Intrade right now, so everything is in the balance.

[ElleTea]

No, staying out of it this year.

In years past I have have always jumped right into the political storm. I would spend hours listening to talk radio and watched nothing but Fox News and CNN. I researched candidates endlessly. I personally went to events featuring Mitt Romney, John Edwards (with a free John Mellencamp concert!), Rudy Guliani, and Obama. I argued online and in person with people about different candidates and what they stood for. I went to the last caucus. I voted. When it was all over, I was exhausted and frustrated.

This year, I am ignoring it. I have no idea what everyone stands for. I'm blissfully unaware of all of it. It's awesome. I won't go to the caucus, and I won't vote. Nothing changes anyway. No flames, please. Just as everyone has the right to vote, I have the right NOT to.

IMO, there should be a law passed that campaigning should not be allowed to begin until one year from the election date. As it is now the campaigns for 2016 will start the day after the elections in November. It's too much.

[capitalcityguy]

Yes I will be participating.

Haven't decided on a candidate yet. Have ruled out a couple of them so far but haven't decided on who I'll vote for yet. Tonight's debate should be interesting (and maybe helpful).

[PeaceInOurTime]

I understand that it is free for anyone to register as a republican and vote in the primaries. But only about 5% of adult Iowans did that 2008. It's strange to me that people are so uninterested. There's so much at stake for you now (I'm not American): huge debts, huge deficits, debasement of the currency, civil rights being abolished, privacy invaded, central economic planning of everything, endless wars.

If I were American I'd crap myself and thank God that there's a candidate who understands the problems and suggests solutions! But how do people think about these things? Do they imagine that things are alright? Or that there's nothing one can do about it anyway?

[nanoscale]

Originally Posted by PeaceInOurTime

I understand that it is free for anyone to register as a republican and vote in the primaries. But only about 5% of adult Iowans did that 2008. It's strange to me that people are so uninterested. There's so much at stake for you now ... Do they imagine that things are alright? Or that there's nothing one can do about it anyway?

Total participation in '08 (Dem + Rep) was about 12% of total pop, obviously higher for registered voters.

One thing that keeps people away is the ridiculous time of the year. In the area I was canvassing in IA-2008, probably 1-in-5, perhaps 1-4 households were away for the holidays. Remember, the caucus took place Jan-04. Our caucus site (an elementary school) was surrounded by ice, which makes it less likely that senior citizens (always the most engaged voters) will come out. That night was a little less cold than the preceding weeks, but bear in mind that it can get bitter cold, which does not help. I'm not sure about the Republican caucus process, but the Dem process can take 1hr-3hrs. It's not a quick in-and-out in most cases. Final point -- in more rural areas, it can be a bit of a drive to get to the caucus site.

For those who simply aren't engaged either way, I'd say "nothing one can do about it," definitely not the feeling that everything is OK!

[tollfree]

I got in trouble for laughing at the word "Caucus" in high school. Only experience I have with it myself.

Personally, I think it gets overblown. While being an important event, it slightly comes across as political fodder to the rest of the country. There's even a Caucus musical now in Des Moines, strange if you ask me. Yes, I know, Obama won it in 2008. It's not some exact science either, lol.

In 1992, Tom Harkin won with 76% of the vote and Bill Clinton had 3%. Tom Harkin, being from Iowa of course was going to win. In 2008, Mike Huckabee won with 34% opposed to McCain's 13%.

[duster1979]

I doubt it. If Iowa had a primary instead of a caucus I probably would vote in that.

I'm usually a pretty traditional person so a part of me would hate to see Iowa do away with the caucus. But I think they would get more participation and therefore a better representation of what the people of Iowa want by doing away with the time-consuming caucus in favor of the more convenient primary.

The reality is that in this modern electronic age you can learn more than you would ever want to know about a candidate sitting in front of your computer in your underwear, so I find it hard to believe that anyone who cares enough to go is going to be swayed at the last minute by a speech made by some local supporter at the caucus site anyway.

[zz4guy]

Yes I'm voting and I can already tell you the LAST person I'll vote for will be that crazy MOFO Ron Paul. Last nights debate was really revealing of what this man actually thinks. He'd pull us out of Germany, UK, the middle east, Japan, who knows. Why does he think everything is going to become another Iraq war just because we stand up for our own interests? Why does this clown not talk more about cutting the social programs?

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by zz4guy

Yes I'm voting and I can already tell you the LAST person I'll vote for will be that crazy MOFO Ron Paul. Last nights debate was really revealing of what this man actually thinks. He'd pull us out of Germany, UK, the middle east, Japan, who knows. Why does he think everything is going to become another Iraq war just because we stand up for our own interests? Why does this clown not talk more about cutting the social programs?

You mirror my feelings exactly. I'd vote for Obama before I'd vote for this nut case. Can't vote in the Iowa caucus though since I'm across the border in South Dakota. By the time our primary comes around, everything is already decided.

[PeaceInOurTime]

In Europe we're happy that you keep your troops here! For that reason we don't need to pay for any defense ourselves. Everyone is convinced that you will save us if the Russians attack. Couldn't you start paying for our health care too? And schools? And roads?

The US starts a lot of wars all the time, but never seems to end them victoriously. Korea, Vietnam and now Iraq going into the third decade, Libya. And now all arab regimes you've supported with many billions of dollars a year in bribes, are falling because their populations hate them for torture and anti-democracy and anti-market policies. Hundreds of millions of ordinary people around the world hate the US because you've supported the bloody dictators and their nazi-police which killed their father and imprisoned their brothers. Why do you do things like that? And how can anyone of you be so stoopid that he imagines that it is in the interests of the US? It ruins your economy, kills your soldiers and makes everyone hate you. Only big corporations in the weapons industry profit from that.

The US is very close to end the same way the Soviet ended. When you can't borrow trillions a year anymore, when the dollar hyperinflates, soldiers won't get paid. They'll drop their weapons in the desert and hitchhike back home. An ordered withdrawal and a balanced budget would certainly be preferable! And if you minded your own business, people might stop hating you for messing with their lives.